Black Cyclists

[Señor_Contador]

Only white people care about other peoples not doing what they do...

As extreme a form of egocentricity as anything out there.

White people are funny.

 

[redtreviso]

keirin has no relation with road cycling
imagine a boy wanting to practice road cycling in tokyo...
there is no physical space for road cycling in japan.

anyway beppu and harashiro, especially harashiro, are decent rider.

but ryo is right, no hystory and tradition in cycling, above all

No history...ummm like say kazakhstan? Surely the land of Shimano and 3rensho could put a team out there.

 

[The Hitch]

White people are funny.

Thanks.

 

[boardhanger]

The situation is different, I think, in the U.S. and Europe. In the U.S. cycling is a predominantly upper-middle class fitness sport (and hence largely white). In Europe the culture of the sport is predominantly white working-class.
)

I agree i'm working class European who lives in the states since pre-Armstrong era. I have witnessed the rise of cycling here. Even look at the advertisers for cycling. Who they aim is pre-dominatly the $75,000 - $ 150,000 market earners. Caddilac, Lexus, etc. As I said many times and people ***** me off saying its lies ( mostly Armstrong era converts) I have seen a $20 jersey now go to $80-$100. Bib shorts the same. Nike moved into the industry I mean took over the jersey's of the TDF (Yellow, Green, Polka) and bamm prices went up as demand stateside came about. I've lived it!!!

 

[simo1733]

Yeh and you are white. Get over it ok? The ideal situation was that we didn't look at people seeing a colour, but that's impossible.
It's a fact that Michael Jordan is black and Michael Schumacher is white. What's the problem? There is none.. It's just a fact.



He is Eritrean btw. Ethiopia and Eritrea are neighbours, but usually not very friendly neighbours so I don't think Teklehemenot would like to be called Ethiopian

oops sorry

 

[auscyclefan94]

Does this perhaps belong in the clinic



Mate. Black is such a generalisation. In reality you have black people in East Aftica who have over years evolved differently from black people in west africa. Many people from various tribal islands would pass as black. Theyve been independent from the rest of Africa for millenia.

You have US basketball players who are minimum 196 cm. Half of them are 210 cm +. Then you have pygmy people who are maximum 150 cm.

The Kenyans from the mountains - Kalenjin people who excel at 3000m are generally taller. The etheiopians who do 10000m and marathons are smaller. Haile and Kenenisa are both 165.

So some black people are more naturally muscular. Some less. There are huge differences.

But think that these marathon runners, would be excelent climbers. They have very slim bodies. They have very high endurance. Bekele has amazing speed as well, so perhaps good enough in tts for gt contender.

Probably fair enough there. I should of been more specific.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Here is the original post.

You don't want to be racist but you lable them as black?

Wow, if I didn't know you're from Melbourne I'd say you were from Cronulla with that sort of talk (of course you maybe too bogan to realise what I'm getting at). I didn't once mention anything to do with balckboards or political correctness.

I never said you did. Your being silly. It seems that you found it strange that the quoted poster didn't want to be racist but then labels someone as black. An absurd comment... And that is to do with political correctness.

You lose all credibility when you insult someone in your posts.

 

[BroDeal]

I agree i'm working class European who lives in the states since pre-Armstrong era. I have witnessed the rise of cycling here. Even look at the advertisers for cycling. Who they aim is pre-dominatly the $75,000 - $ 150,000 market earners. Caddilac, Lexus, etc. As I said many times and people ***** me off saying its lies ( mostly Armstrong era converts) I have seen a $20 jersey now go to $80-$100. Bib shorts the same. Nike moved into the industry I mean took over the jersey's of the TDF (Yellow, Green, Polka) and bamm prices went up as demand stateside came about. I've lived it!!!

I don't think it has anything to do with Nike. It's all the yuppies who have piled into the sport and are more interested in buying gear that they think will impress others than actually riding. It is the typical yuppie "impress the Joneses" way of life. All sorts of stuff that is functionally crap but expensive sells simply because it is expensive. There is no taste, discernment, or craftsmanship anymore; thus we have clueless people paying more money for stock bikes made in China than they would pay for a custom bike made in the U.S. and convinced that they own the Ferrari of bikes. Price has become the only measure of desirability.

 

[ozerulz]

I don't think it's economics. I ride a bike I bought for $175 in 1995. Steel downtube shifters and I keep up just fine. More likely this is a cultural issue. Kinda funny though. I don't ever see or hear Black sports commentators talking about the need to get more whites into basketball/football. They seem to be just fine with dominating a sport without having any guilt.

 

[boardhanger]

I don't think it has anything to do with Nike. It's all the yuppies who have piled into the sport and are more interested in buying gear that they think will impress others than actually riding. It is the typical yuppie "impress the Joneses" way of life. All sorts of stuff that is functionally crap but expensive sells simply because it is expensive. There is no taste, discernment, or craftsmanship anymore; thus we have clueless people paying more money for stock bikes made in China than they would pay for a custom bike made in the U.S. and convinced that they own the Ferrari of bikes. Price has become the only measure of desirability.

Im not personally attacking Nike. I was using Nike as a time reference, bringing cycling mainstream (kinda) when they bought the rights to the Yellow/Green/Polka jersey's around 1999/2000. Put money into a huge marketing campaign stateside. That was the turning point pricing wise in my opinion. All others followed suit, ****ing on the working man cyclist who isn't a doctor, lawyer etc.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

The notion that there's some genetic factor stopping black people from becoming top cyclists is absolutely and completely wrong.

Any group of people which is capable of producing top level endurance athletes is capable of producing top level cyclists. The physiological factors which make someone capable of being an elite distance runner are broadly the same as the physiological factors which make someone capable of being an elite cyclist.

The relevant issues are social. Cycling is simply not an option for a young man growing up in East Africa, the part of the world which produces the overwhelming majority of the worlds best distance runners. The equipment is not affordable, the necessary roads don't exist, and there are few if any local races which could allow a prospect to display his talent and make a living. I'm told that cycling is quite popular in Ethiopia, but there simply aren't the roads or the opportunities to make a name for yourself. If you are a kid in Ethiopia or Kenya who shows incredible endurance ability, you aren't going to end up as a bicycle racer.

Within Western countries, those basic economic factors are a little less relevant but it remains a sport with little following amongst black people. The comparison made earlier with golf is useful. Tennis is another example - the Williams sisters aside, black people are almost as underrepresented amongst top level tennis players as they are amongst top level golfers. That has nothing to do with genetic factors and everything to do with social factors and participation in particular.

If you'd put Haile Gebrselassie on a bike when he was a kid, and given him access to equipment and races and the opportunity to be noticed, he'd be a climber who would put the best Colombian to shame. At 56 kg he'd probably make a terrible time triallist though.

 

[ozerulz]

why would roads be an issue? a number of top road racers have mtb backgrounds.

 

[Kwibus]

Its not a fact. It's a derogatory and xenophobic term to alienate people and play on people's predjudice and bias towards those they labelled. If the OP if talking about people from Africa then he should have called them Africans, if he's talking about the percentage of demographic from other non-African countries that have African heritage then he should have mentioned that as well. Its the same sort of labelling that happens with religion ("oh he's a catholic/jew/muslim")

You don't talk about Contador, Schleck, Cancellara as 'White', no, you mention their country or continent so why should it be the same for others?

Am I white? How do you know? Sure, roughly 90% (we'll wait and see for the '11 Census for exact numbers) of Aussies are 'white' but you're just making assumptions again. I could be of Malagasy heritage for all you know.

Because it's not about the nation or continent. It's about black people in general. I haven't seen any black person in the proffesional peloton. Did you? So the OP was talking about all black people. Their was nothing alienating or xenophobic about it. It was just a post/question to start a discussion why there are so few black people in cycling.
I don't like generalisation either and I don't like racism at all, but there is nothing wrong about this topic.

 

[profff]

The notion that there's some genetic factor stopping black people from becoming top cyclists is absolutely and completely wrong.

Any group of people which is capable of producing top level endurance athletes is capable of producing top level cyclists. The physiological factors which make someone capable of being an elite distance runner are broadly the same as the physiological factors which make someone capable of being an elite cyclist.

The relevant issues are social. Cycling is simply not an option for a young man growing up in East Africa, the part of the world which produces the overwhelming majority of the worlds best distance runners. The equipment is not affordable, the necessary roads don't exist, and there are few if any local races which could allow a prospect to display his talent and make a living. I'm told that cycling is quite popular in Ethiopia, but there simply aren't the roads or the opportunities to make a name for yourself. If you are a kid in Ethiopia or Kenya who shows incredible endurance ability, you aren't going to end up as a bicycle racer.

Within Western countries, those basic economic factors are a little less relevant but it remains a sport with little following amongst black people. The comparison made earlier with golf is useful. Tennis is another example - the Williams sisters aside, black people are almost as underrepresented amongst top level tennis players as they are amongst top level golfers. That has nothing to do with genetic factors and everything to do with social factors and participation in particular.

If you'd put Haile Gebrselassie on a bike when he was a kid, and given him access to equipment and races and the opportunity to be noticed, he'd be a climber who would put the best Colombian to shame. At 56 kg he'd probably make a terrible time triallist though.

i agree 100%.
in italy we have children of immigrants from maghreb winning all endurance run in their age groups, but no one of them is cycling.
social factors, they live in big town where is difficult to practice because of traffic, no relevant cost for equipment.
participation factors : in their country of origin there is a tradition in long distance running ( aouita, elguerrouji, rachid ramzi...)

people from maghreb have all the relevant physiological factors to make a great cyclist.

 

[staubsauger]

well at least there should be some surinames from holland at rabo or vacansoleil, so why aren't there any?

 

[Microchip]

Hi for the first time (as a poster). This is an interesting topic and agreeing with many of the comments, I think economics is the underlying factor.

The topic has been explored in a movie called The African Cyclist, the link is here: http://www.theafricancyclist.com/the_cyclists.html

It tells about two young men from Kenya who were brought to Europe to attempt a famous Tour de France climb in the L'Alpe d'Huez, which they did on the 14th August 2008. The record for cycling up this mountain is 39 minutes 41 seconds with the tenth-placed cyclist finishing in 42 minutes 8 seconds. The Kenyans, who have no racing experience or professional coaching, climbed it in 42 minutes 10 seconds.

 

[ozerulz]

OMG. cycling is in dire straights. there aren't enough black riders in the peloton. come to think of it, there aren't enough Thai/Iraq/Iran/Nepalese/Samoan/Indonoesians either. What would president Obama think of us? Oh the humanity! Gnash teeth gnash teeth. Maybe we could make an apology to the UN or something. Oh wait we could all tax ourselves and give the money to TEAM AFRICA. we could get frank and andy to tell them how to set up their own team and we could give them an automatic bid to all races in order to make sure that blacks were represented in cycling.
Maybe you should take the advice of MLK and stop judging people by the color of their skin. Maybe you should just see people instead seeing white/black/brown/yellow people.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

No history...ummm like say kazakhstan? Surely the land of Shimano and 3rensho could put a team out there.

soviet union had big cycling tradition and that's where kazakhstan is from

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Because it's not about the nation or continent. It's about black people in general. I haven't seen any black person in the proffesional peloton. Did you? So the OP was talking about all black people. Their was nothing alienating or xenophobic about it. It was just a post/question to start a discussion why there are so few black people in cycling.
I don't like generalisation either and I don't like racism at all, but there is nothing wrong about this topic.

specifie pro peloton please. I know dozens of them currently and right now 2 in pct/pt europe and they've been named here already

 

[biokemguy]

Organization is a big factor

I can only speak for the US, but the most popular sports here are organized through the school system in even the poorest districts. This gives economically disadvantaged people the opportunity to play "expensive" sports.

If you consider american football, then equipment cost for the individual would be prohibitive if the equipment wasn't provided by the school.

I'm hopeful that the development of high school mountain biking leagues will continue and produce some pro racers from varied backgrounds. This probably won't happen very soon, since these leagues are popping up in wealthy districts first.

 

[Dettol]

OMG. cycling is in dire straights. there aren't enough black riders in the peloton. come to think of it, there aren't enough Thai/Iraq/Iran/Nepalese/Samoan/Indonoesians either. What would president Obama think of us? Oh the humanity! Gnash teeth gnash teeth. Maybe we could make an apology to the UN or something. Oh wait we could all tax ourselves and give the money to TEAM AFRICA. we could get frank and andy to tell them how to set up their own team and we could give them an automatic bid to all races in order to make sure that blacks were represented in cycling.
Maybe you should take the advice of MLK and stop judging people by the color of their skin. Maybe you should just see people instead seeing white/black/brown/yellow people.

Maybe it's because most people want to see cycling as a truly international sport so it should have people from different nationalities participating in it?

 

[Arnout]

Hi for the first time (as a poster). This is an interesting topic and agreeing with many of the comments, I think economics is the underlying factor.

The topic has been explored in a movie called The African Cyclist, the link is here: http://www.theafricancyclist.com/the_cyclists.html

It tells about two young men from Kenya who were brought to Europe to attempt a famous Tour de France climb in the L'Alpe d'Huez, which they did on the 14th August 2008. The record for cycling up this mountain is 39 minutes 41 seconds with the tenth-placed cyclist finishing in 42 minutes 8 seconds. The Kenyans, who have no racing experience or professional coaching, climbed it in 42 minutes 10 seconds.

Is that the whole movie on that site or is it only part?

 

[flicker]

The notion that there's some genetic factor stopping black people from becoming top cyclists is absolutely and completely wrong.

Any group of people which is capable of producing top level endurance athletes is capable of producing top level cyclists. The physiological factors which make someone capable of being an elite distance runner are broadly the same as the physiological factors which make someone capable of being an elite cyclist.

The relevant issues are social. Cycling is simply not an option for a young man growing up in East Africa, the part of the world which produces the overwhelming majority of the worlds best distance runners. The equipment is not affordable, the necessary roads don't exist, and there are few if any local races which could allow a prospect to display his talent and make a living. I'm told that cycling is quite popular in Ethiopia, but there simply aren't the roads or the opportunities to make a name for yourself. If you are a kid in Ethiopia or Kenya who shows incredible endurance ability, you aren't going to end up as a bicycle racer.

Within Western countries, those basic economic factors are a little less relevant but it remains a sport with little following amongst black people. The comparison made earlier with golf is useful. Tennis is another example - the Williams sisters aside, black people are almost as underrepresented amongst top level tennis players as they are amongst top level golfers. That has nothing to do with genetic factors and everything to do with social factors and participation in particular.

If you'd put Haile Gebrselassie on a bike when he was a kid, and given him access to equipment and races and the opportunity to be noticed, he'd be a climber who would put the best Colombian to shame. At 56 kg he'd probably make a terrible time triallist though.

Wrong, wrong,wrong. Major Taylor wasn't black!

 

[La Pandera]

-- snip-- All there mates are out hanging with gangs, playing football or just hanging out on street corners with their friends.
--snip--

You sure you don't want to edit this offensive generalization/stereotype?

 

[La Pandera]

In the US I've personally found that the majority of African Americans who take up the sport seriously, be it as their primary form of recreation and/or competively, do it later in their lives, after their athletic primes. A lack of exposure to the sport in their early years is a prime reason. Unless an adult relative or friend of the family introduces them to the sport, it's unlikely they will take it up on their own when other sports are more readily available.